Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
At this time, we will conduct the question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions). Our first question will come from the line of Christopher Svezia with Susquehanna Financial Group.
Christopher Svezia - Susquehanna Financial Group
A couple questions here, first, Diane for you. Can you just may be quantify your backlog position at the end of the quarter, and then secondly, obviously the department sort of channels and we know obviously what’s going on out there, I’m talking about the reductions and open-to-buy, etc., may be if you can just talk about the backlog in a context by brand in terms of what’s going on, Brown New York, what’s going on with Naturalizer, LifeStride, etc., as you look to spring, and then I have a followup question please.
Diane M. Sullivan
Let me address it in total first. Clearly, the department store sector really, again as I said, every level of distribution across the marketplace is under some kind of stress, and as we look specifically, our backlog on order limits our going into the fourth quarter, it was down about 10%, and as we look towards the first quarter, I think we’re looking at about the same rate, and actually Mark has pulled this up for me, at about 9% down right now actually going into this particular quarter, and as we look across the total branded business, I would say there are not significant swings between each one of the brands, but generally speaking, depending on the channels, they are pretty much plus or minus around that one with the exception of the private brand and private label business which as I mentioned in the call just a minute ago that it now represents a little bit less than 15% of our total wholesale business; so, we do see a more erosion there, but other than that, it’s kind of plus or minus right around that 9% or 10%.
Christopher Svezia - Susquehanna Financial Group
And then on the inventory position, it seems relative to your outlook for the fourth quarter and what looks like for the backlog position as you head into spring, a bit high, I just want to get some clarification both on the Famous Footwear piece, I know you guys are running promos for the balance of this year, and may be on the wholesale piece, just where that higher inventory seems to be and what do you anticipate as you get through the fourth quarter, where do you think the inventory level should be?
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